Summer food programs seeking new ways to assist children

Summer food programs seeking new ways to assist children

By John McAuliff, USA TODAY

Summer food programs aiming to keep U.S. children from going hungry have grown 25% in the last five years amid a nationwide push by local food banks to change the way they serve food to needy people.

The programs try to close the nation’s hunger gap by bringing food to children across the USA. Run by small charities that collect food donations and funded primarily by the federal government, the programs offer a safe location for children to eat lunch and get free food to take home to their families.